Health Professions Student Program

The South Carolina AHEC Health Professions Student (HPS) Program collaborates with health professions programs in our state to provide community-based education for undergraduate and graduate students. This community-based education is designed to expose students to the realities of clinical practice in rural and underserved areas, and to introduce them to communities as a focus for health improvements.

Areas of Focus


Family Medicine Rural Clerkship

This is a joint effort between the USC School of Medicine and MUSC College of Medicine designed to broaden the focus of medical student learning from providing individual patient care to improving the health of defined, rural, underserved populations in South Carolina. The primary goal of the Clerkship is to train students in population health by applying the principles of community-oriented primary care and continuous quality improvement in the provision of health care services at the community level. Interested individuals may obtain more information by accessing the Family Medicine/Rural Clerkship Website.

Elective Rotations for Medical Students

The South Carolina AHEC offers Elective Rotations to 4th year medical students from
South Carolina, as well as to out-of- state students who have completed core clinical training from LCME approved medical schools. These electives focus on multiple specialties and are offered throughout the state. Students are often provided with housing at no cost and meals.

SCRIPT

The South Carolina Rural Interdisciplinary Program of Training (SCRIPT) is a ten-year-old education program that provides health professions students with a four-week rural, interdisciplinary experience at clinical sites throughout the state. Administered by the Lowcountry AHEC, this program has become a national model for interdisciplinary training. Interested individuals may obtain more information by accessing the SCRIPT Lowcountry AHEC Web site.

Interprofessional Service Learning Project: Childhood Obesity

Building on the SCRIPT and Rural Clerkship experience, the HPS program introduced in 2007-2008 a major new program that may well become a model for the nation on interprofessional education and service learning.  This project, known as The Interprofessional Service-Learning Project (ISLP), was designed by MUSC faculty from the disciplines of medicine, pharmacy, health administration, nursing, and physician assistant as part of the Creating Collaborative Care Initiative. The pilot program is being implemented in collaboration with the Junior Doctors of Health Program at MUSC and Lowcountry AHEC.  Thus far, health profession students from medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant, and health administration have participated.   As the program evolves, the plan includes adding other disciplines. For additional information, click here.

Preceptor & Clinical Practice Site of the Year

Each year the South Carolina AHEC recognizes a preceptor and a clinical practice site for exceptional service to health professions students. The preceptor of the year and the site of the year are selected from those nominated from the four AHEC regions.

Previous Clinical Practice Sites of the Year:

2004 - Marion Medical Group
2005 - Lowrys Family Medicine
2006 - Beaufort Jasper Hampton Comprehensive Health Services, Inc.
2007 - Seneca Medical Associates
2008 - Volunteers in Medicine

Previous Preceptors of the Year:

2004- Timothy Hutchinson, MD
2005 - George William Campbell, MD
2006 - R. Dale Padgett, MD
2007 - Vickie Glover, PA-C
2008 - Robert Ridgeway, III

Health Professions Student Coordinators

Graduate Medical Education • Continuing Education • Health Careers Program